1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tube clamps for fastening a tube to a building member, and in particular to offset tube clamps wherein the tube is held in spaced relation to the building member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tube clamps are routinely used for fastening a tube, such as a plumbing pipe, to a building member, such as a wall stud, joist, top plate of base plate. The typical tube clamp includes a rigid back and a downwardly extending hook or claw which extends outwardly from the top of the back. The back acts as a nailway and includes a nail receiving aperture. A nail extending through the aperture is driven into a building member to secure the clamp to the building member. The pipe is captured between the claw and the building member.
A problem with this type of clamp is that a pipe held in the clamp will be in contact with the building member. As the pipe expands and contracts with changes in temperature it may rub against the building member causing a noise. Such noise is considered undesirable by homeowners. In addition, heat from hot water pipes can be lost through heat transfer from the pipe to the building member. Another application where standard tube clamps are less than ideal is in the installation of radiant heat tubes. When these tubes are mounted directly to a surface, “hot spots” can be created where the pipe is secured.
Another problem is that inexperienced drywall installers will frequently miss a stud while screwing down drywall and inadvertently pierce a pipe mounted alongside the stud with a drywall screw. In some areas, building inspectors are requiring that the plumber offset the tube away from the surface of the stud. To meet this requirement contractors will stack standard tube clamps or cut a block of wood and mount it to the building member, then put a standard tube clamp on top of the block of wood.
Standard tube clamps are also relatively ineffective for attaching tubes to engineered wood I-joists which are being used more frequently in new construction. These joists are formed of wood flanges with a web of oriented strand board (OSB) to produce an I-shaped structural member. The flanges are relatively narrow and can be difficult to attach a tube to using standard tube clamps.
A prior art tube clamp for attaching tubes to engineered wood I-joists was produced by Dill Products, Inc. and comprised a right angle base with a post extending diagonally outwardly from the apex of the base with a tube cradle mounted at the end of the base. The base included slots for receiving fasteners and could be fastened to a corner of the flange of an I-joist. A tube mounted in the tube cradle would be positioned so as to run alongside the web of the joist. This was a single purpose tube clamp and not readily adapted to mount a tube to a flat surface of a building member.
What is needed is an improved tube clamp which allows for a significant offset between a tube and a building member to which it is secured. Ideally, the tube clamp could be mounted either to a flat surface of a building member, or to a corner of a building member such as an engineered wood I-joist.